Food · Porto · Portugal
What to eat in Porto
The dishes, drinks and food experiences that define Porto, and where locals actually eat them.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
Start with Francesinha, Tripe Porto style and Roast pork sandwich. Cross the Dom Luís I bridge to the lodges for a cellar tour and tasting, comparing ruby, tawny and aged styles. Lunch runs from about 12:30pm to 3pm and dinner from about 7:30pm; many small restaurants close between.
Key facts
- Signature dish
- Francesinha
- Vegetarian-friendly picks
- 3
- Tipping
- Tipping is modest: leaving small change in cafés and about 5–10% in restaurants for good…
- Food experiences
- 4
10 foods to try
Dish
1.Francesinha
Porto's famous sandwich layers bread with ham, linguiça sausage and steak, covers it in melted cheese and drowns it in a spiced tomato-and-beer sauce, often with a fried egg on top and fries on the side.
Where: Cafés and snack bars across the city; locals debate their favourites endlessly.
Dish
2.Tripe Porto style (Tripas à moda do Porto)
A slow-cooked stew of tripe, white beans, chouriço and chicken. It is the reason Porto's people are nicknamed 'tripeiros', after the city gave its best meat to the ships of the Age of Discoveries.
Where: Traditional tascas and restaurants in the old town, often as a dish of the day.
Street food
3.Roast pork sandwich (Sandes de pernil)
A soft roll packed with slow-roasted pork leg, sometimes with melted Serra da Estrela cheese. It is a late-night and lunchtime favourite.
Where: Long-running snack bars around Praça dos Poveiros and the Baixa.
Dish
4.Bacalhau à Gomes de Sá
A Porto-born salt-cod bake with potatoes, onions, olives and hard-boiled eggs, one of hundreds of Portuguese ways to cook bacalhau.
Where: Traditional restaurants across the centre and Ribeira.
Dish
5.Grilled fish in Matosinhos (Peixe grelhado)
Sea bass, sole, sardines and other fresh catch grilled on outdoor charcoal grills and served with boiled potatoes, salad and olive oil.
Where: Restaurants on and around Rua Heróis de França in Matosinhos.
Snack
6.Bifana
Thin slices of pork marinated in garlic and wine, simmered and served in a soft roll with mustard; a quick and cheap snack.
Where: Cafés and snack bars all over the city.
Dish
7.Caldo verde
A soup of potato and finely shredded kale, usually with a slice of chouriço, from northern Portugal. It is served at festivals and as a starter.
Where: Tascas and traditional restaurants; ask for it without chouriço for a vegetarian version.
Dessert · Vegetarian
8.Pastel de nata
A flaky custard tart, ideally eaten warm with cinnamon and a coffee. It is Portugal's national pastry.
Where: Bakeries and cafés throughout Porto; look for trays fresh from the oven.
Drink · Vegetarian
9.Port wine (Vinho do Porto)
Fortified wine from the Douro Valley, aged in Gaia. Ruby ports are fruity and young, tawnies are aged in wood with nutty flavours, and white port mixed with tonic is a popular summer aperitif.
Where: Lodge tastings in Vila Nova de Gaia and wine bars in the old town.
Drink · Vegetarian
10.Vinho verde
A light, slightly sparkling young wine from the Minho region north of Porto, mostly white, refreshing with seafood.
Where: Restaurants and wine bars; ideal with grilled fish in Matosinhos.
Food experiences
Port tasting in Gaia
Cross the Dom Luís I bridge to the lodges for a cellar tour and tasting, comparing ruby, tawny and aged styles.
Grilled fish lunch in Matosinhos
Take metro line A to Matosinhos and pick fish from the ice displays outside restaurants grilling over charcoal on the street.
Francesinha challenge
Try Porto's most famous sandwich and judge the sauce; every café has its own recipe.
Bolhão market morning
Browse the restored market's stalls of fish, fruit and cheese and finish with a market-stall lunch.
Quick bites and street food
- Roast pork sandwich — Long-running snack bars around Praça dos Poveiros and the Baixa.
- Bifana — Cafés and snack bars all over the city.
Vegetarian options
Of the 10 foods in this guide, 3 are usually vegetarian: Pastel de nata, Port wine and Vinho verde. Check preparation with staff, as stocks and fats vary.
Eating out: tips and etiquette
- Lunch runs from about 12:30pm to 3pm and dinner from about 7:30pm; many small restaurants close between.
- Bread, olives and other starters (couvert) brought to the table are charged if you eat them; send them back if you do not want them.
- Prato do dia (dish of the day) at lunch is often the best-value meal in tascas.
- Ask for 'um cimbalino' if you want an espresso the Porto way.
- Restaurants on the Ribeira quay charge more for the view; better value is a few streets uphill.
Tipping
Tipping is modest: leaving small change in cafés and about 5–10% in restaurants for good service is appreciated but not expected.
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Bom dia | Good morning |
| Obrigado / Obrigada | Thank you (said by a man / a woman) |
| A conta, por favor | The bill, please |
| Um cimbalino | An espresso (Porto slang) |
| Saúde! | Cheers! |
Questions travellers ask
+What food is Porto famous for?
Francesinha, Tripe Porto style, Roast pork sandwich and Bacalhau à Gomes de Sá. Porto's famous sandwich layers bread with ham, linguiça sausage and steak, covers it in melted cheese and drowns it in a spiced tomato-and-beer sauce, often with a fried egg on top and fries on the side.
+Is Porto good for vegetarians?
Several local staples are meat-free, including Pastel de nata, Port wine and Vinho verde.
+Do you tip in restaurants in Porto?
Tipping is modest: leaving small change in cafés and about 5–10% in restaurants for good service is appreciated but not expected.